Just when you thought Nike forgot about its first signature SB athlete, the SB P-Rod 8 comes out of left field. Paul Rodriguez Jr and his team of designers went left field with the 8 and the focus is definitely on the performance side.

100% Lunarlon provides a cushier ride and coated Hyperscreen toecaps reduce the weight of the shoes. Curiously enough, the interior looks deconstructed with with barely any ankle support. It could be from the more adaptive fit on the foot. That Flywire netting covering the upper is fairly odd though. Looks like the kicks are covered in fishnets. Durability issues may arise with the exposed wires, but they look to be coated with protective material.

The shoes were pretty much rebuilt with zero f*cks given about aesthetics. What skaters are treated to is a stripped down shoe that could very possibly set a new standard for skate kicks. With Nike moving towards more and more synthetic materials for performance footwear, the P-Rod 8 is another step in the progression of the SB line. How they hold up remains to be seen but for now respect is due to Rodriguez and the SB design team for taking a risk with this upcoming drop.

Did you say “no aesthetics”? Doggie these say “aesthetics” all over them.
I don’t, however, see “skate shoes”. These look like runners, or trainers,
I don’t know if skaters would like these; they’re just too slick looking. But they look super dope; whatever they lose in target market I think they’d more than make up with casual fans.

@Aaron Smarter I disagree. They look like hybrid skate/tennis shoes to me. If you look at past releases like Oneshots, Kostons, etc., Nike’s favored a sleeker upper with more cushioning. Were more emphasis placed on aesthetics, I personally feel like the Flywire would have been covered, and more P-Rod branding would have been present like past releases.

I like these, I’m real curious about skating in them though. They look like they have no padding except for that Lunarlon sole (which are comfy as fuck, but I don’t feel like I would have any board feel with it). I’m sure P-Rod knows more than I do though.